January 2012 - National Irrigation Commission Limited

The Channel
National Irrigation Commission Limited
January 2012
The Channel
New Irrigation Systems for 2012
Six irrigation contracts which form part of the
National Irrigation Development Programme
Loan Agreement between the Government of
Jamaica and the Inter-American Development
Bank in the overall amount of US$21 million
were signed on November 22, 2011.
The contracts valued at approximately J$289
million, are expected to enable 311 farmers on
188 hectares of prime agricultural lands in Yallahs and 376 farmers on 400 hectares in New
Forest/Duff House to increase their production
because of the infrastructure which will be put
in place.
Continued on page 3
New Portfolio
Ministers for NIC
Former Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Mr. Robert
Montague (second left), Mr. Oliver Nembhard, Chairman of
the National Irrigation Commission Limited and Mr. Joseph
Foster (right) of Jamaica Drip Irrigation Limited sign contracts for irrigation infrastructure. Observing the proceedings are Mr. Franklin Witter (far left) former Member of Parliament for the St. Elizabeth South Eastern Constituency
and Projects and Procurement Manager at the NIC, Mr.
Wesley Blake (standing).
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Hon. Roger Clarke
Hon. Ian Hayles
The National Irrigation Commission Limited
(NIC) wishes to extend a warm welcome to
newly appointed Minister of Agriculture and
Fisheries, Honourable Roger Clarke and Minister of State for Agriculture and Fisheries,
Honourable Ian Hayles.
We look forward to a fruitful relationship with
them
New Irrigation Systems for 2012
1
New Portfolio Ministers for NIC
1
Editorial
2
Solar Powers Hounslow Research
Station
3
Congrats Bad Bad Blakey
5
Earthquake Awareness Tips
5
NIDP—CDB Projects
6
Your Safety Corner
7
Staff Happenings
8
PAGE 2
THE C HAN N EL
 Have fresh flowers or a plant
in your office.
 Check your light source use a
desk lamp or get more natural light by shifting your desk
around.
 Pictures of peaceful scenes or
photos of loved ones will give
your workspace a feeling of
warmth. Organise your workHappy New Year to our valued
space.
customers and to my colleagues.
 Is your computer station set
correctly? Do you have a
comfortable chair? Take freAs we begin a new year, let us
quent short breaks if you are
unite and join hands and hearts
using a computer constantly.
A cushion for your chair may
as we all move forward with
add to your workday comhope and aspirations. May God
fort.
bless you richly with good health,
prosperity and the joy of life.
Wednesday- Shrink your
I wish to share with you some
“weekday stress busters” which I
hope you find useful and interesting.
Monday- Organise your work
habits
If mornings are rushed, try getting up five or 10 minutes earlier
to add to your time. This can
make a big difference to how
your day begins.
 Set your priorities before work
gets under way. If you make a
list be sure you make it realistic.
 If possible work a little on large
or daunting projects each time.
 Work out what your lower productivity time is and schedule
easier tasks during that time.
 Get into the habit of setting
aside time for processing emails.
 Build some time into your daily
schedule for unexpected events
or interruptions.
Tuesday- Create a harmonious work environment
Stress can result from our physical environment be it too much
noise and/or mess, a disorganised workspace, too much or too
little stimulation etc. Find the
cause of the stress and
take action.
worries
Worries have a way of building
up and leaving you with a general sense of anxiety and discomfort. Do something with
your worries rather than allow
them to intrude on your dayto-day living. Here are some
simple suggestions to tackle
worries:
 Question the worry - whose
problem is it? Is it really
yours?
 Talk it out - share your problem with someone you trust.
 Write it down - writing often
helps to put things in perspective.
 Exaggerate it - picture the
worst that can happen. How
likely is that?
 Distance it - imagine a few
years from now. How much
will it matter then?
 Attack it - take the first step
to solving the problem.
 Breathe it away - inhale
deeply, exhale with a sigh a
few times. Let your tension
go as you breathe out.
Thursday- Self-talk and
stress
We are all in constant dialogue
with our brain, commenting on
how we feel about things. Selftalk generally helps us to make
sense of our world and helps to
get our thinking straight.
 Be kind to yourself and set
realistic goals and standards.
 Cultivate the habit of thinking "what's right with the
world" instead of focusing on
what's wrong.
 Remind yourself daily of the
people and things in your life
that matter.
Friday- Quick and easy
stress busters
Handling stress isn't just about
dealing with big problems - if
you handle small frustrations
they won't build up into big
hassles. 'All work, all day' is a
great formula for stress and
doesn't add to productivity.
Here are some things you can
do at any time of the day:
 Monitor your breathing. Most
of us don't make good use of
our lungs. If you start to feel
stressed or anxious take
several deep breaths.
 Breathe in, thinking the
word 'peace', pause, then
breathe out thinking 'calm'.
 Take short breaks - go for a
walk, listen to music, daydream, take a tea-break, a
lunch-time even!
 Check your posture. There is
growing evidence of the
beneficial effects of even
mild exercise on mental
health.
 Avoid the temptations of too
much caffeine or junk food
when you're stressed.
 Share a laugh with a colleague - laughter is one of
nature's best stress busters.
-Adapted
Let 2012 be your best year
ever – don’t sweat the small
stuff
Patricia Tyrrell Chong
PAGE 3
Continued from Page 1
Three of the contracts are for
the supply and installation of
pipes, fittings, pumps and
pump houses for the Yallahs
Irrigation System (Phase 1) in
St Thomas, the eastern section of the project area. The
remaining three contracts are
for the New Forest/Duff House
Irrigation System in Manchester. This system will be developed according to three (3)
blocks to serve farmers in the
entire New Forest and Duff
House project area.
At the Contract Signing Ceremony, Mr. Robert Montague ,
former Minister of Agriculture
and Fisheries charged the contractors Jamaica Drip Irrigation Limited and Bacchus Engineering Works Limited to give
the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) value
for money. He further challenged them to ensure that
the pipes and pumps be of the
best quality and that their
work be of the highest standard that is, on time and
within the allocated budget.
According to Mr. Ancil Brewster, Country Representative
of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), between
2000 to 2010, the Agriculture
Sector has managed positive
growth in four of those years.
He said that increased agricultural productivity will be seen
through the signing of the two
contracts and that these
higher yields will lead to
higher incomes for farmers,
increased food security, a
higher standard of living and a
better quality of life.
The signing is also timely as
there is a great need for water for agricultural production
particularly in St. Thomas. He
noted that there should be a
focus on planting fruits such
as pineapple and watermelon; tubers such as cassava and dasheen; plantains,
potatoes as well as niche
crops which would have a
high value return in Jamaica.
Brewster further disclosed
that the Agriculture Sector
has made a significant contribution to the growth of the
economy seen through the
increased Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) and the IDB
stands ready to support Jamaica in that direction
through the agricultural competit iveness
programme
which is now underway.
THE C HAN N EL
Solar Powers
Hounslow Research
Station
Photovoltaic panels in use at the
Hounslow Research Station
The National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC) has
proudly engaged in an energy
cost reduction strategy to stem
the increase in energy consumption and the high charges
that are associated with it.
This strategy involves energy
With the contract installation conservation measures and
period set for nine (9) practices, plus the use of altermonths, we can look forward native energy as a source for
to great improvement in irri- powering selected NIC locagation in the near future
tions and selected equipment.
Upon establishing this agricultural research facility in 2010,
the NIC could not function to
its full potential because of the
absence of a JPS grid connection on the research plot. It
would have cost the Commission over JMD$5 million, upfront payment to the Jamaica
Public Service Company Limited (JPSCo) to supply electricity to this location. The Board
of Directors of the NIC then
decided that the Research Plot
could be a good place to start
its energy cost reduction initiative. Consequently, a standalone 2.7kW Photovoltaic Sys–
PAGE 4
THE C HAN N EL
tem was installed to provide the ergy cost.
The Commission
electricity required for the entire plans to carry out the followresearch plot.
ing energy cost reduction projects throughout 4 office locations:
A Photovoltaic or PV System
uses one or more solar panels  LED light conversion
to convert sunlight into electric-  Change standard AC units
ity. NIC’s system has the capacto the more energy efficient
ity to provide one-day autoninverter type at Head Office
omy, in other words, it has one  Grid-tie Photovoltaic Sysday’s supply of energy from the
tem at 4 offices, commencbatteries without sunlight. This
ing at the Operation Centre
system consists of 12 solar panin Spanish Town.
els, 10 (245 Ah) maintenance
free batteries, a single 4kW inverter and a charge controller. In addition, with the approval
With that inverter, the system and guidance of the Board and
can be expanded to almost
twice its existing capacity if so
desired.
The system is regarded as the
most economic solution to provide the required electricity service at Hounslow. The set-up
cost less than it would cost to
have the Research Station connected to the JPSCo grid. Hereafter, the NIC will not be paying
for the use of electricity at this
location.
This Solar Photovoltaic System
has a life expectancy of over 25
years. In other words, the NIC
will no sped any money on electricity at the Hounslow Research
Station for the next 25 years,
that is, the NIC will not spend
any money on electricity at the
Hounslow Research Station for
the next 25 years, with the exception of the maintenance of
the system and periodic replacement of the batteries. This is
essentially, a projected JPSCo
savings
of approximat ely
$147,000.00 per year.
This initiative is just the first
step in a comprehensive list of
projects that the NIC will embark on in efforts to reduce en-
the Energy Cost Reduction
Committee, the NIC is now in
the process of embarking on
research with a view to establish a wind turbine project to
provide energy for some of
the pumps in the Hounslow
and Beacon/Little Park areas.
The Commission is proceeding
with the committed assistance
of Mr. Fitzroy Vidal, Energy
Technician at the Ministry of
Mining and Energy in collaboration with Wigton Wind Farm
Inverter
Charge
Controller
Mounting board with inverter and charge controller
Single tube lighting fixture for greenhouse at the Hounslow
Research Station
PAGE 5
THE C HAN N EL
Congrats to Bad Bad Blakey
NIC’s Projects and Procurement Manager Mr. Wesley Blake (R), recipient of a
DVR Award at the eight annual Vinyl collector’s session in New York. Also
pictured (L) is John Bartlett, Blake’s friend and teacher.
Wesley Blake, also known as
“Bad Bad Blakey” and Manager for Projects and Procurement at the National Irrigation
Commission Limited (NIC) received a DVR (Dedication to
Vinyl Records) Award in Freeport, New York on November
26th at the Eight Annual Vinyl
Collector’s Session for his dedication and commitment to Vinyl
Records Collecting since 1980.
Blakey lived in New York in the
1980s prior to joining the staff
of the NIC. He has a passion for
music; this passion became a
lifelong hobby, nurtured
by
friend and teacher, John Bartlett
aka John Public.
Public taught Blakey all about
collecting music, what to look
for and what had value. Blakey
honed this skill over many
years.
In 1986, Blakey moved to Florida with his invaluable stock of
vinyl records. He was the envy
of all who soon realized that
Blakey was truly bad. His collection is second to none. He
has material no one else has.
His favourite artists included Billy
Eckstine, Arthur
Prystock and
Walter Jackson to name a few. He
loves rhythm and blues and soul
music.
Blakey’s collection was so great
that on one occasion, he was invited by WAVES, a popular radio
station in Florida to tantalize the
music lovers with his awesome
collection.
By the time Blakey returned to
live in Jamaica in 1997, he became well known for playing at
Collectors Sessions on East Road
and Burlington Avenue.
Blakey’s older brother, Robert
(Buggy) insisted that Blakey join
him at Kool FM hence for the last
three years, Blakey has been
spinning the finest pieces as he
features a host of different artists,
producers and writers.
An alumnus of Jamaica College,
Blakey is the proud father of three
children. People enjoy being
around this fun loving, vivacious
and witty musician. He is a really
cool guy.
Tune into Kool 97FM on Tuesdays at 8p.m.
to hear Blakey spinning
EARTHQUAKE
AWARENESS TIPS
During an earthquake:
 Stay calm
 If you are inside, stay
there. Stand in a doorway
or crouch under a desk or
table away from windows
or glass dividers.
 If you are outside, stay
there. Stay away from objects such as buildings,
tress, telephone and electric lines, which could fall
and injure you.
 If you are in a vehicle,
drive away from underpasses/overpasses, stop in
the safest possible place
After an earthquake:
 Evacuate the building as
soon as the shaking
stops, carefully inspect
the exterior of the building for cracks in walls,
shifted posts and pillars.
If you see anything
other than minor cracks
do not re-enter the
building until it has been
inspected for safety by a
professional.
 Check for injuries and
provide first aid.
 Check for safety hazards
–gas, water, sewage
breaks, downed power
lines and electrical short
circuits, damaged and
weakened buildings and
foundations, fires and
fire hazards.
 Wear shoes and protective clothing
 Corporate with all public
safety and relief organizations
 Be prepared for after
shocks.
Continued on page 8
PAGE 6
THE C HAN N EL
NIDP –CDB Projects
The Beacon/Little Park Irrigation Specially Authorized
Society and the Hounslow
Irrigation Specially Authorized Society respectively
have decided to adopt
wholeheartedly the cooperative spirit. Both Water Users
Associations
have
been
working cohesively to improve agriculture in the area
by participating in training
sessions and supplying produce to the Grace Processing
and Packaging Facility in
Hounslow, St. Elizabeth.
Training at Hounslow Research Center
NIC’s agronomist, Mr. Donald Elvy and his Assistant
Mr. Junior Ebanks have been
welcoming and providing
technical assistance to farmers from the two organizations at the Hounslow Research Center in St. Elizabeth. Here the farmers are
privy to hands on practical
experience in the areas of
weed control, crop nutrition
and plant nutrition among
other areas. Mr. Ebanks,
who is also the President of
the Beacon/Little Park ISAS,
has stated that farmers were
having serious challenges
with controlling the weed
problem that has caused low
yields as the fruits are fighting with the weeds for
proper nutrient intake.
contracts with the Grace Processing and Packaging Facility
to provide produce such as hot
pepper, sweet pepper, cabbage and carrot. These produce are then packaged and
sold to local markets, thus
providing a steady stream of
income for the farmers.
finding valuable projects in which
its members can fully participate”.
This he expects to be turned
around very shortly because of a
Forty Thousand Dollars
(US$40,000.00) grant by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to the Organization.
The project has been dubbed the
‘Biodiversity Preservation
through Seven Rivers Herbs
The Seven Rivers Irrigation
and Spice Project’, and is exSpecially Authorized Society
pected to provide two green
successfully lobbied the Nahouses, a solar drying plant
tional Land Agency (NLA) for a
whereby farmers in the area will
two (2) acre parcel of land in
have their produce processed,
the community of Seven Rivpackaged and sold to Pharmaceuers St. James. The land air
tical and other entities. The group
marked as a multi-purpose
has been working closely with
facility is to be used for the
representatives from the Rural
Society’s official meeting area,
Agricultural Development Authora farm store, packaging facility (RADA) in organizing this proity, farm machinery and
ject. The group has struggled in
equipment storage among
getting the project off to a flying
other uses.
start but Mr. Tomlinson is positive
that they will be successful. He
According to the President of stated that “there needs to be a
the
Society
Mr.
Alfred change in the mindset of the peoTomlinson, “the group has ple so they can see the true benegone through a few challenges fit the WUA has to offer the comthroughout the years particu- munity, through irrigation and aglarly in keeping its member- riculture”
ship base at an optimum and
Seven Rivers
Grace Processing and
Packaging/Facility
Some members of the organizations have also signed
Grace Processing and packaging facility in
Hounslow, St. Elizabeth
PAGE 7
THE C HAN N EL
Your Safety Corner
BASIC FIRE SAFETY TIPS
All fires can be very dangerous
and life-threatening. Your safety
should always be your primary
concern when attempting to fight
a fire.
You know how to use your
highly toxic smoke.
fire extinguisher. There’s not
enough time to read the in You don't have the proper
structions when a fire occurs.
fire
extinguisher. The
wrong type of extinguisher
How to Fight a Fire Safely:
can be dangerous or lifethreatening.
 Always stand with an exit to
your back.
 There is too much smoke
 Stand several feet away from
the fire, moving closer once
the fire starts to diminish.
You need to know what to do to
keep fires from starting, as well
as how to deal with the emer Use a sweeping motion and
gency of an accidental fire. Beaim at the base of the fire.
cause of the deadly danger of
fire, it is to your benefit to know
how to size up a fire and how to  If possible, use a "buddy sysrespond in a fire emergency.
tem" to have someone back
you up or call for help if
something goes wrong.
Before deciding to fight a fire,
be certain that:
or you are at risk of inhaling smoke. Seven out of
ten fire-related deaths occur
from breathing poisonous
gases produced by the fire.
Any sort of fire will produce
some amount of carbon monoxide, the most deadly gas
produced by a fire.
Material such as wool, silk,
 The fire is small and not  Be sure to watch the area for nylon and some plastics can
awhile to ensure it doesn't re- produce other highly toxic
gases such as carbon dioxide,
ignite.
hydrogen cyanide, or hydrogen chloride. Beware - all of
 You have the proper fire
Never Fight A Fire If:
these can be fatal
extinguisher for what is

The fire is spreading rapburning.
idly. Only use a fire extinguisher when the fire is in its
early stages. If the fire is al The fire won't block your exit
ready spreading quickly,
if you can't control it. A good
evacuate and call the fire deway to ensure this is to keep
partment.
the exit at your back.
spreading. A fire can double in
size within two or three minutes.
 You know your fire extinguisher
works. Inspect extinguishers
once a month for dents, leaks
or other signs of damage. As You don't know what is
sure the pressure is at the recburning. Unless you know
ommended level.
what is burning, you won't
know what type of fire extin For extinguishers equipped
guisher to use. Even if you
have an ABC extinguisher,
with a gauge, the needle
there could be something
should be in the green zone—
that could explode or produce
not too high and not too low.
Contributed by
The Transport and Safety Unit
Staff Happenings
WAY TO GO CLAUDINE!
A warm welcome is extended to the following member of
staff who has recently joined the NIC family:
Dr. Earl Green
Senior Energy EngineerOperations Centre
Executive Director at the Jamaica Cultural
Development Commission (JCDC), Delroy
Gordon (right) presents award for Best
Adult Short Story Writer to Claudine Bailey.
CONGRATULATIONS
A hearty congratulations to members of staff who have
recently celebrated the birth of their child:
 Mr. Towayne Brown (Head Office)– Baby girl.
 Ms. Taniesha Gobourne (Head Office)– Baby girl.
Claudine Bailey, former NIC Scholarship Awardee and daughter of Mrs.
Christine Moore, Training Assistant at
the Head Office receives her trophy
for Best Adult Short Story Writer
at the Jamaica Cultural Development
Commission's (JCDC) creative writing
Competition held last November.
Congrats and all the best in your future endeavours!
CONDOLENCES
Our heart felt condolences to all our staff members who have
recently lost a loved one.
“We pray the love of God enfolds you during your difficult
times and He helps you heal with the passage of time.”
EARTHQUAKE AWARENESS contd.
As we commemorate Earth-  Fire extinguisher
quake Awareness, the NIC  Clean water
wishes to remind you of the
 Candles and matches (note:
following survival supplies you
no open flame should be lit
should have:
or electric switches turned
 Portable radio & extra baton until it is determined that
teries
there is no gas leak in the
 Flashlight & extra batteries
area).
 First-aid book & kit, including prescribed medicines for Remember in the event of an
the family
earthquake:
 Adjustable wrench for turning off gas and pipes
DROP, COVER, ROLL
 Week’s supply of canned &
dried foods
The NIC wishes all customers
 Non-electric can opener
and staff a safe 2012.
Editorial Committee:
Contributors:
STAFF NOTICE
The following staff documents are
posted on the Intranet in the Public
Folder:
 Occupational Safety Policy
 Motor Vehicle Expenditure
Data Form
 Motor Vehicle Service Form
 OCC Safety Policy ANNEX II
 Accident Report Form
 Salary Advance Form
 Leave Form
 Staff Loan Form
 Motor Vehicle Repair Loan
Form
 Staff Policies and Procedures
Manual
They may be downloaded for your
information or as needed.
Mrs. Patricia Tyrrell Chong & Miss Patrica Taylor.
Mr. Barrington Hudson, Miss Schmoi McLean & Miss Rubena Powell.
Printed by the Public Relations Unit of the National Irrigation Commission Limited